International Climate Protection Fellowship

For whom
prospective leaders and postdocs with climate expertise
From where
non-European developing and transition countries
For what
12–24-month project in Germany
Erde mit grünen Kontinenten, Symbolbild Internationales Klimaschutzstipendium

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The closing date for applications has elapsed. Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to apply for this programme. The next application round is scheduled to begin on 15 August 2024. If you register now, we will send you an email informing you when the next application round opens.

Fellowship for prospective leaders and postdocs

Are you working academically or practically in climate protection or climate-relevant resource conservation in your home country – a non-European developing or transition country (see list of countries, PDF)? Then we invite you to apply for an International Climate Protection Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

If you are a prospective leader you will do a one-year research-related project in Germany as part of your fellowship; if you are a postdoc, long-term academic research (12-24 months). It should focus on combating climate change, adaptation strategies, preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, or on the sustainable use of the seas and oceans. Sustainability topics relating to natural resources, resource-efficient consumption or urban development are also welcome.

We award up to 15 International Climate Protection Fellowships to prospective leaders and up to five to postdoctoral researchers each year. The fellowships are funded through the International Climate Initiative. The Initiative (IKI) became the responsibility of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) in 2022. The IKI programme cooperates with its founding ministry, the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), as well as the Federal Foreign Office.

International Climate Protection Fellowship | For next-gen leaders & postdocs with climate expertise
How to apply for a Climate Protection Fellowship | Info event for young climate protection experts
"Give it a try!" | Betty Rono from Kenya
"Go for it!" | Rupesh Shrestha from Nepal
Hint

Postdocs from developing and emerging countries whose research work is not related to climate protection or climate-related resource conservation may apply for a Georg Forster Research Fellowship , if their research has relevance for the future development of their region of origin. Otherwise there is the possibility for applying for a Humboldt Research Fellowship. Should your programme search yield both Fellowships, please use the Programme Compass for further guidance. It is the best possible support when selecting the programme that corresponds most closely to your profile.

Our sponsorship

The fellowship facilitates the mutual exchange of knowledge, methods and techniques with hosts in Germany; this also extends to questions of practical applicability in your country of origin. We offer you

  • a monthly fellowship of €2,170, €2,470 or €2,670 in the programme line for prospective leaders – depending on your training and career level; a monthly fellowship of €2,670 in the programme line for postdoctoral researchers
  • individual support during your stay in Germany
  • additional financial support for example for accompanying family members, for travel expenses, for full private health insurance or for a German language course
  • a three-week introductory event where you can connect with other climate protection fellows, visit businesses and research institutions, and attend cultural events in Germany
  • extensive alumni sponsorship, in particular to support long-term connections with your cooperation partners in Germany over the duration of your entire professional career

Host institutes receive a monthly allowance for research costs of 800 euros for projects in the natural and engineering sciences or 500 euros for projects in the humanities and social sciences.

You must meet the following criteria/What is required of you

As future decision-makers and multipliers, you aim to take on the global challenge of climate change through international, cross-border cooperation. The International Climate Protection Fellowship is designed for prospective leaders and postdoctoral researchers. We invite you to apply for an International Climate Protection Fellowship if you

  • explore questions in the natural or engineering sciences or address legal, economic, health-related or societal aspects of climate change
  • are a citizen of a non-European developing or transition country (see list of countries, PDF) and have been predominantly living and working there
  • have initial experience in a leadership role and corresponding leadership skills
  • have very good knowledge of English and/or German

In addition, you meet the following criteria as a prospective leader or postdoctoral researcher:

Prospective leaders

Did you complete your first academic degree (Bachelor or comparable degree) during the last 12 years (cut-off date is the appication deadline on 1 February)? Do you have extensive professional experience, at least 48 months at the application deadline? If so, apply for an International Climate Protection Fellowship.

Postdoctoral researchers

Did you complete your first academic degree (Bachelor or comparable degree) during the last 12 years (cut-off date is the application deadline on 1 February)? Additionally, did you complete your doctorate no more than four years ago by the application deadline (1 February) or will you complete it until 31 August of the respective selection year? Have you published in academic journals and publishing houses that are reviewed according to international standards? If so, apply for an International Climate Protection Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers.

How to apply

Before applying, you should agree the details of your independently developed research-based project with your chosen academic host.

Please submit the necessary application documents to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation online only.

  • research-based project: Outline the project you have developed yourself and agreed with your intended host prior to applying. Bear in mind that the following criteria are important for selection: a convincing choice of methods; clear focus and feasibility; relevance to the fields of climate protection or climate-relevant resource conservation; feasibility of conducting the project at the chosen host institution; practicability of the communication strategy
  • extensive statement including confirmation of support from your host in Germany
  • two letters of recommendation (not more than 12 months old) from individuals who can provide information on your professional, personal and/or academic background

The online application form contains links where the letters of recommendation and statements can be uploaded. Please forward these links to the relevant individuals as soon as possible. We will send you a confirmation e-mail as soon as we have received all the required documents. If you have any doubts or questions, please contact us by e-mail (info[at]avh.de) before submitting your application. We are happy to help.

Selection of potential host institutions

From the wide variety of potential institutions in Germany where you may find a host, we have compiled an overview of institutions that have in most cases already hosted Climate Protection Fellows. In some cases you will find links to specific examples of projects conducted:

  • Beuth University of Applied Sciences
    Fachbereich Maschinenbau, Veranstaltungstechnik, Verfahrenstechnik
  • University of Greifswald
    Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology
  • Freie Universität Berlin
    Berlin Centre for Caspian Regional Studies (Maryam Bakhshi)
    Department of Law
    Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science – Environmental Policy Research Centre
  • Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
    Fakultät Life Sciences, Department Verfahrenstechnik
  • Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences
    Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Trier University of Applied Sciences
    Institute for Applied Material Flow Management
  • Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    Geography Department
    Institute for Economics and Social Sciences of Agriculture
    Faculty of Law
  • Technische Universität Berlin
    Department of Ecology
  • Clausthal University of Technology
    Clausthaler Umwelttechnik-Institut (CUTEC)
  • Technische Universität Dresden
    Faculty of Environmental Sciences
    Institute of Waste Management and Circular Economy
    Institut für Bauklimatik (Pulat Salikhov)
    Institute of Power Engineering
    Institute of Forest Economics and Forest Management Planning
    Institut für Internationale Forst- und Holzwirtschaft
    Institut für Photogrammetrie und Fernerkundung
  • United Nations University Bonn
  • University of Bayreuth
    Plant Ecology Group
  • University of Bonn
    Department of Geography
    Meteorologisches Institut
    Center for Development Research (ZEF) (Gabriel Antwi-Boasiako)
  • University of Freiburg
    Chair for Landscape Management
    Chair of Silviculture
  • University of Göttingen
    Institute of Geography
  • University of  Hamburg
    Research Unit Sustainability and Global Change
  • Leipzig University
    Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology
  • University of Münster
    Institut für Umwelt- und Planungsrecht (Huihui Liu)
  • University of Potsdam
    Chair of International Politics
  • University of Stuttgart
    Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management
  • University of Tübingen
    Institute of Evolution and Ecology
  • University of Wuppertal
    New Manufacturing Technologies and Materials (Arne Röttger)
  • University of Würzburg
    Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology (Ravikash Prasad)

  • Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz centre for polar and marine research (AWI), Bremerhaven
  • German Aerospace Center (DLR)
    German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD), Oberpfaffenhofen
  • Ecologic Institute for International and European Environmental Policy, Berlin
  • Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, Competence Center Sustainability and Infrastructure Systems
  • Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research
  • Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health
  • Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences
  • Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig (Wolke Tobón NiedfeldtAbdelrhman Mahmoud Shaaban Mohamdeen)
  • Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V. (IASS), Potsdam
  • Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Dresden
  • Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Warnemünde
  • Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben
  • Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg
  • Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen (Adam Ceesay)
  • Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin
  • Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena
  • Museum für Naturkunde – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin
  • NewClimate Institute Berlin
  • Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
  • Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt am Main
  • Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie gGmbH
  • Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim

  • adelphi, Berlin (Aída Rocío García)
  • A.T. Kearney GmbH, Düsseldorf
  • atmosfair, Berlin (Anang Bagus Setiawan)
  • Climate Analytics gGmbH, Berlin
  • German Development Institute, Bonn
  • Ecofys, Köln
  • Germanwatch e.V., Bonn
  • Independent Institute for Environmental Issues (UfU), Berlin (Thi Binh Minh Hoang)
  • Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), Berlin
  • Öko-Institut e.V., Berlin

  • Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM)
  • Alliance 90/The Green Party, Berlin
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Eschborn
  • Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V., Quakenbrück
  • Deutscher Wetterdienst, Offenbach
  • International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), Berlin
  • International Council on Clean Transportation Europe, Berlin
  • SunCoal Industries GmbH, Ludwigsfelde (Shalab Poudyal)
  • Thema1 GmbH, Berlin
  • German Environment Agency, German Emissions Trading Authority, Berlin (Elizabeth MosquedaDanira Baigunakova)

Timeframe: application, selection, fellowship

Icon Applicants
Applicants
Icon Foundation
Foundation
Icon Notification
Notification
Application procedure Fellowship
  • Programme announcement August
  • Application deadline 1 February
  • Selection Meeting September
  • Intensive German course in Bonn January/February
    • may be preceded by German courses in own country
  • Introduction meeting March
  • Individual project work April - February

Selection procedure

A selection committee comprised of 15 researchers from Germany and non-European developing or transition countries decides who will be awarded an International Climate Protection Fellowship. The peer review is conducted largely on the basis of three selection criteria:

  • academic and professional career (determination, mobility, professional qualifications, academic success, only in the case of applicants with a doctorate: quality of key publications)
  • leadership skills in the area of climate protection
  • research project (quality, originality, feasibility, relevance to climate protection, practical relevance in the recipient’s country of origin)

Please note

The closing date for applications is 1 February of each year.

The Selection Committee aims to issue invitations to suitable candidates by the end of June for a multi-day virtual selection meeting in September, where applicants have the opportunity to present their proposals. An independent Selection Committee will choose the fellowship recipients at this meeting. Applicants must always abide by the rules of good scientific practice (PDF) and the principles of scientific ethics. The foundation provides information on dealing with generative AI in the selection area.

You may not apply if you have previously received funding from the Humboldt Foundation.

All the best for your application!

Questions & answers

No, a language certificate is not required.

In the case of multiple degrees, the valid date is the completion date of the first Bachelor's (or comparable) degree.

The relevant date is that of completing the final requirement for your (Bachelor’s) degree (e.g. final examination, defence of thesis, oral final examination). This date will usually be included on your certificate alongside the date of issue.
The key date for calculating the period after your first university degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) is the application deadline of the ongoing selection round (1 February).

We cannot consider your application if you completed your first university degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) more than twelve years ago. The key date for calculating the period after your first university degree is the application deadline. If you have just passed the deadline, an exception may be made in well-founded cases (e.g. recognition of parental leave). Please send us your CV so we can advise you (info[at]avh.de).

In case you do not yet possess sufficient professional experience in the field of climate protection or climate-related resource conservation (at least 48 months at the time of the application deadline), you may still apply if you hold a further academic or professional degree in the above-mentioned fields at the time of application. You may apply for an International Climate Protection Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers if you hold a doctorate or comparable academic degree (Ph.D., C.Sc. or equivalent) in the field of climate protection or climate-related resource conservation and completed your doctorate less than four years prior to the application deadline (1 February). In case you are still in the process of completing your doctorate, you may apply if you will have completed it until 31 August of the selection year.

Periods in which you interrupted your professional activities or your further studies following your first academic degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in order to rear children may be taken into account as career breaks after examination. The proportionate offsetting of such periods is also possible. Please always indicate child-rearing periods when filling in your application form.

Mothers can claim two extra years for each child born after their first academic degree plus any further verifiable parenting periods. Fathers and other persons responsible for raising children are only credited with verifiable parenting periods.

In general, you may apply if you completed your first academic degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) less than 12 years before the application deadline. Recognized child-rearing periods may correspondingly extend this maximum timeframe during which the submission of applications is possible. The extension is limited to 6 years.

Please contact info[at]avh.de if you have any questions.

Periods in which you interrupted your professional activities or your further studies following your first academic degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) in order to perform military or alternative service, to care for close relatives, due to long-term illness or, for example, to care for children or due to the closure of institutes during a lockdown imposed to control an epidemic may be taken into account as career breaks after examination. The proportionate offsetting of such career breaks is also possible. Please always indicate career breaks when filling in your application form.

Job hunting and unemployment do not count as career breaks.

In general, you may apply if you completed your first academic degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) less than 12 years prior to the application deadline (1 February). Recognized career breaks may correspondingly extend this maximum timeframe during which the submission of applications is possible. The extension is limited to 6 years.

Please contact info[at]avh.de if you have any questions.

Yes, because the assessment of the previous career is always made on an individual basis at the Humboldt Foundation. Therefore, when filling in the application form, please specify all periods in which you partially or completely interrupted your professional activities or your further studies following your first academic degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent).

The voluntary disclosure of private circumstances may help increase equal opportunities during the selection process. The consideration of your personal circumstances allows for a fairer assessment of your previous career.

Please contact info[at]avh.de if you have any questions.

Yes, because the assessment of the previous career is always made on an individual basis at the Humboldt Foundation. Therefore, when filling in the application form, please specify all periods in which you partially or completely interrupted your professional activities or your further studies following your first academic degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in order to perform military or alternative service, to care for close relatives, due to long-term illness, or, for example, to care for children or due to the closure of institutes during a lockdown imposed to control an epidemic.

Job hunting and unemployment do not count as career breaks.

The voluntary disclosure of private circumstances may help increase equal opportunities during the selection process. The consideration of your personal circumstances allows for a fairer assessment of your previous career.

Please contact info[at]avh.de if you have any questions.

The aim of the programme is to enable prospective leaders   from non-European developing and transition countries to come to Germany to conduct a research stay here. Applicants should therefore be living and/or working in a non-European developing or transition country at the time of application.

Eligible applicants must have lived in a non-European developing or transition country (list of countries, PDF) for a minimum of 12 months in the 18-month period prior to the application deadline (1 February). Any person who, regardless of their country of residence, has supported themselves for more than six out of the last 18 months with financing from a German institution or who has worked on a doctoral project at an institution in Germany in the last 18 months also is not eligible to apply.

If in doubt, please contact us before you submit your application so we can advise you (info[at]avh.de).

No, an application for an International Climate Protection Fellowship is not possible. If in doubt, send us a seamless CV so that we can then advise you (info[at]avh.de).

Applicants must provide proof of their knowledge of German if this knowledge is necessary to ensure that the research-based proposal can be implemented successfully. Otherwise you must provide proof of good knowledge of English (language certificate required).

The academic host can be anyone who works at a public or private institution in Germany (university, research institute, public authority, non-governmental organisation, ministry, company) and is able to agree that he or she will be your mentor during your proposed stay. In order to ensure that the host in Germany is able to act as mentor, he or she must have a professional relationship to the specialist area of your planned proposal and must be able to provide a workplace for you. In case the academic host is not authorized to provide a workplace, the host’s confirmation of support has to be signed by his or her superior (e.g. executive director or director of the institute).

Individuals with whom you are in a close personal (marriage or civil partnership) or familial (parents, siblings, children) relationship cannot be selected as hosts.

You are free to choose your own academic host in Germany. The Humboldt Foundation does not provide any direct support in finding a host. You can, however, find information on our page Advice on finding a host or start your search for potential host institutions in Germany via the project data base of the German Federal Environmental Foundation, the GERiT – German Research Institutions, the Klimanavigator and the link list provided by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research. We recommend that you start looking for a host as early as possible.

The host's main responsibility is to provide the right conditions for the successful completion of your proposal in Germany and to mediate the necessary contacts to other partners or institutions. The role of the host can vary depending on the requirements of your proposal and can range from regular contact to close collaboration.

Of course you can cooperate with other partners, institutions etc. in Germany during your stay. You can however only have one official host.

Applicants for the International Climate Fellowship Programme for postdoctoral researchers may carry out their projects with two hosts. If the hosts work at different research institutes, they must each provide a host's statement and confirmation that research facilities can be made available.

The host institution will receive an allowance amounting to 800 EUR per month for research-based proposals in the fields of natural sciences and engineering, and 500 EUR per month for proposals in the humanities or social sciences.

No, the fellowship is not meant to support company employees who intend to work at German headquarters or branches. Applicants suggesting a project that includes an inhouse-training have a rather low chance of success.

No, it is not possible to apply to several fellowship programmes or the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award programme concurrently. Should you be rejected by any of them, you may, however, apply to any other programme as long as you fulfil the formal requirements.

No, the International Climate Protection Fellowship is awarded in order to implement the research-based proposal, which has been chosen by the fellow and agreed upon with the host. It neither aims at pursuing (partly) a Ph.D. degree. By accepting the fellowship the fellow commits him- or herself to the objective of the fellowship during the duration thereof.

Graduates who are interested in completing postgraduate studies, a doctoral dissertation or a training period in Germany should apply to the programmes offered by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) or other funding organisations.

During the sponsorship period, fellows may conduct short-term research visits to institutions in other European countries if this is necessary to implement the research-based proposal successfully. The maximum duration should be 1 to 2 months (for prospective leaders) or 25 per cent of the envisaged full sponsorship period (for postdocs).. Further information: Europe research stays.

You may plan a Europe research stay already in your research-based proposal when applying; however, you may apply for it only after having been awarded a fellowship.

It is not possible to apply for a research visit to your home country or a country outside Europe during the fellowship; as a rule, the fellowship then has to be interrupted for this period or the research visit abroad has to be realized prior to the beginning of the fellowship.

If the fellow’s own institution does not cover travel expenses, the Humboldt Foundation will pay a single lump sum for return travel. The Humboldt Foundation will only pay travel expenses for family members in exceptional circumstances.

In principle, it is possible to file parallel applications. You must, however, indicate this on the application form and inform us immediately of any other applications you submit and any other sponsorship decisions that occur while we are considering your application.

Yes. The complete application package must be received by 1 February.

There is one Selection Meeting per year. Interview candidates participate virtually.

The fellowship enables prospective leaders working practically to spend a year in Germany to implement a research-based proposal and postdoctoral researchers to implement long-term research proposals (12-24 months) at a German host institution.

The following timetable is mandatory for all fellows:

January - February 2025: Intensive German course in Germany (optional)
March 2025: three-week introductory seminar at several locations in Germany
April 2025 – February 2026: Work on individual proposals
June 2025: Annual Meeting of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, including reception by the Federal President of Germany (optional)
Autumn 2025: Two-week study tour through Germany
January/February 2026: final week, including reception

For postdoctoral researchers afterwards: continuation of the research proposal for the period applied for, individual trainings and participation in programme events of the Foundation (optional)

 

The intensive German course can only be taken immediately prior to the start of the fellowship.

There is no obligation to take part in a language course. The Humboldt Foundation strongly recommends that all fellows who know little or no German participate in the two-month intensive language course.

No. The fellowship must be taken up in accordance with the programme timetable.

The Humboldt Foundation welcomes the idea that fellows´ partners and children should accompany them and encourages this by paying family allowances in addition to the fellowship, provided that the family members accompany the fellow for more than three months.

Your letter of motivation should contain information about your relevant personal and professional qualifications as relating to the fellowship. It should further describe the personal and professional goals you wish to pursue with the fellowship.

  • The proposal must contain the following information: subject, methods, aims and bibliography of the planned proposal. You are further requested to draw up a schedule including milestones for the funding period.
  • You must independently draw up this schedule and agree it with your intended host in Germany before submitting your application.
  • Please also explain what results you expect and how these are relevant to climate change (in terms of reducing emissions, adapting to climate change and conserving of biodiversity in a changing climate).
  • We also ask that you outline how you intend to publish the results of your proposal during and after your fellowship, and what target groups you particularly plan to address.

Please request letters of recommendation from two people who can give well-founded accounts of your professional, academic and personal background as well as your leadership skills, e.g.

  • your current supervisor / mentor
  • previous supervisors / mentors

Applicants for International Climate Protection Fellowships for postdoctoral researchers should ask for an expert review written by their doctoral supervisor. The second letter of recommendation should preferably be written by a reviewer not working at the applicant’s own institute.

Please note: The host’s statement is not considered a letter of recommendation!

After the respective closing date it is unfortunately not possible anymore to submit an application online. In this programme applications by email, post or fax are not permitted.

You can only submit your application once. It is, however, possible to save your application and return to it as often as you like prior to submission. Please note, however, that your complete application must reach the Humboldt Foundation by the closing date at the latest. Incomplete applications may be excluded from the respective selection round.

The host uploads his/her statement as well as  the confirmation of support in a secure area of our online platform, adding them to your application form. You can find the link to this area in the application form. Please send this link on a timely basis to the designated person. Once all the documents have been uploaded, you will automatically be notified by email and will then be able to submit your application. You are responsible for ensuring that your documents are complete. Please draw your host’s attention to our list of questions for the host's statement (PDF) and the required confirmation of support.

Your expert reviewers upload the required documents in a secure area of our online platform, adding them to your application form. You can find the links to this area in the application form. Please send these links on a timely basis to the designated persons. Once all the documents have been uploaded, you will automatically be notified by email and will then be able to submit your application. You are responsible for ensuring that your documents are complete.

Expert reviews should not be more than 12 months old at the time of application.

Certificates in German, English, French, Latin, Spanish or Italian do not need to be certified. If your documents are in any other language, you must provide certified translations. A translation agency, for example, can assist you with certified translations.

You may apply if you will complete your doctorate until 31 August of the respective selection year. At the same time your first university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) must have been completed less than 12 years prior to the application deadline (1 February).

Sponsorship during the doctorate is, however, not possible.

The relevant date is that of completing the final academic part of the doctoral process (e.g., defence of thesis, doctoral viva). This date will usually be included on your doctoral certificate alongside the date of issue. The key date for calculating the period following your doctorate is the application deadline (1 February).

If you have passed the deadline, an exception may be made in well-founded cases (e.g. recognition of parental leave).

Periods in which you interrupted your professional or scientific activities following your doctorate in order to rear children may be taken into account as career breaks after examination. The proportionate offsetting of such periods is also possible. Please always indicate child-rearing periods when filling in your application form.

Mothers can claim two extra years for each child born after their doctorate plus any further verifiable parenting periods. Fathers and other persons responsible for raising children are only credited with verifiable parenting periods.

Please consider also our FAQ “How will child-rearing periods be considered in the application process?” explaining the 12-years-limit for the completion of your first academic degree (Bachelor's or equivalent).

Please send us your CV and a list of your publications before you apply so we can advise you (info[at]avh.de).

The International Climate Protection Fellowship programme is aimed at prospective leaders who are active in the field of climate protection and climate-related resource conservation either in academic or practice-oriented work in their countries of origin. The programme is structured according to a fixed schedule including training components (see “What is the timetable of the fellowship?”). The Humboldt Research Fellowship programme is more suitable for basic research, while the Georg Forster Research Fellowship programme is targeted at academics from developing and transition countries wishing to conduct research with relevance to development. In case of doubt, please contact us for advice before submitting an application (info[at]avh.de).

Your application must contain one to three key publications. Other publications will not be accepted (exception: You may optionally submit published reviews of your key publications by other authors).
If you wish to cite your dissertation as a key publication but have not yet submitted it for printing, please upload the original manuscript of your doctoral thesis.

Before uploading, please check the accuracy of the information provided in your publication lists (complete list, list of key publications), in particular with regard to the order and completeness of the information on the authors, the titles of the publications and the publication venues. Inaccurate information could lead to the rejection of your application on formal grounds.

No. Please only cite publications that are already in print, have been accepted for publication or have at least been submitted to a publishing house. Please cite submitted publications without naming the journal or publishing house on your publication list. In the latter case you must include the acknowledgement of receipt from the publisher; in case of publications that have been accepted, please include the letter of acceptance from the publisher. Any other works cited on the list will be deleted.
Exception: Your dissertation may be cited as a key publication even if you have not yet submitted it to a publisher. If you wish to cite your dissertation as a key publication but have not yet submitted it for printing, please upload the original manuscript of your doctoral thesis.

You yourself should choose the key publications from your publications. You should choose works which present your most important academic results. In cases of multiple authorship you should select those to which you have made a major contribution. When choosing key publications we recommend including works that reflect your more recent publication activity.
Please note that you cannot amend your selection of key publications once the selection process has begun.

If you are already holding or currently doing a PhD, you have to choose at least one key publication. You may cite a maximum of three. Surplus key publications will be removed from the list without notifying the applicant.

Please address the particular academic relevance of the results contained in the key publication and briefly explain the significance of the publication for your academic profile (cf. Sample key publications, PDF). In cases of multiple authorship please also indicate your own personal contribution to the publication.

Yes. Please cite all your publications in the complete list of publications, including your key publications. The unpublished dissertation, however, may not be listed in the complete list of publications. In this list the key publications should be cited without explanations (cf. Sample publication list, PDF). Please note that the order of the authors on the publication list corresponds to the order of the authors on the submitted publication. Changing the order is against the Rules of Good Scientific Practice and may result in penalties (cf. Rules of Good Scientific Practice, PDF).
Please note that it is not possible to amend the list of publications submitted to the Humboldt Foundation once the selection process has begun.

Yes, shortly after submitting your application online, we will confirm the receipt by email. Due to the number of applications, we cannot confirm the receipt of further documents separately. If, however, important documents or information should be missing from your application, we will notify you.

After evaluating the application documents, an independent expert committee will decide which applicants will be invited to a Selection Meeting, which lasts several days. The Selection Committee is composed of domestic and international experts from all fields and votes on applications by simple majority. The Humboldt Foundation office has no vote on the Selection Committee.

At the Selection Meeting applicants have the opportunity to explain their proposal to the Selection Committee and their co-applicants in a short presentation and to present themselves to the Selection Committee in an individual interview. The interview is conducted in English or optionally in German. The Selection Committee will ask questions focused primarily on your professional or academic background, your expertise in the field, your proposal, your interest in Germany, your career plans as well as the significance the requested fellowship in Germany will have for your further professional career.

In each selection round, the best applicants will be selected for a fellowship. Approval or rejection of an application is always directly related to the qualifications of the other applicants. Those candidates who are not invited to attend the Selection Meeting and their respective hosts will receive a notice of rejection in the course of June or July.
Upon demand (informally by email) we are, of course, prepared to inform you on the reasons for the rejection. This feedback notification will be sent both to you and your host. In light of the large number of applications it will usually take us between four and six weeks to respond to such enquiries.

During the last years 25 to 30 per cent of the applications have been successful.

 

Your academic and professional development and performance to date, your leadership experiences as well as the expert reviewers' information regarding your leadership skills and future potential will be at the centre of the evaluation. Further evaluation criteria are the quality, originality and relevance of your proposal for issues of climate change as well as opportunities for collaboration with the chosen host institute that will arise from your proposal.
In addition, for applicants holding a PhD or currently doing a PhD the academic qualification as well as the innovation potential of the proposal for the further development of the subject area play a central role. In particular, applicants who apply upon completion of their doctoral thesis should ensure that the key findings of the doctoral thesis (key publications) are already published or have been accepted for publication. In case of doubt, it is a good idea to wait for several months before submitting the application until evidence can be provided that the key publications have been accepted.

It is possible to re-apply. The new application should, however, differ significantly from the original, rejected application. Generally, a new application makes sense only after you have entered a new phase of your professional or academic development. Submitting a new application that differs little or not at all from the rejected original may result in a formal rejection of the new application.
Please note that applicants, who have already participated twice without success in the Selection Meeting of the International Climate Protection Fellowship Programme, will be rejected on formal grounds in case of re-application.

GILBERT BAASE ADUM | Degree: Master of Philosophy | Field: Wildlife and Range Management | Host institution in Germany: Museum für Naturkunde – Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin
GILBERT BAASE ADUM | Degree: Master of Philosophy | Field: Wildlife and Range Management | Host institution in Germany: Museum für Naturkunde – Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin
DANIRA BAIGUNAKOVA | Degree: Master of Economics | Field: Economics | Host institution in Germany: Umweltbundesamt, Deutsche Emissionshandelsstelle, Berlin
DANIRA BAIGUNAKOVA | Degree: Master of Economics | Field: Economics | Host institution in Germany: Umweltbundesamt, Deutsche Emissionshandelsstelle, Berlin
ADAM CEESAY | Degree: Master of Science | Field: Climate Change and Tropical Marine Ecology | Host institution in Germany: Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenökologie
ADAM CEESAY | Degree: Master of Science | Field: Climate Change and Tropical Marine Ecology | Host institution in Germany: Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenökologie
AÍDA ROCÍO GARCÍA | Degree: Master of Arts| Field: Public Management and Environmental Studies | Host institution in Germany: adelphi, Berlin
AÍDA ROCÍO GARCÍA | Degree: Master of Arts| Field: Public Management and Environmental Studies | Host institution in Germany: adelphi, Berlin
PULAT SALIKHOV | Degree: Master of Engineering | Field: Energy Efficiency in Buildings | Host institution in Germany: Technische Universität Dresden, Institut für Bauklimatik
PULAT SALIKHOV | Degree: Master of Engineering | Field: Energy Efficiency in Buildings | Host institution in Germany: Technische Universität Dresden, Institut für Bauklimatik
ANANG BAGUS SETIAWAN | Degree: Master of Science | Field: Wastewater Management | Host institution in Germany: Atmosfair, Berlin
ANANG BAGUS SETIAWAN | Degree: Master of Science | Field: Wastewater Management | Host institution in Germany: Atmosfair, Berlin
WOLKE TOBÓN NIEDFELDT | Degree: Master of Science | Field: Environmental Science | Host institution in Germany: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung – UFZ, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig
WOLKE TOBÓN NIEDFELDT | Degree: Master of Science | Field: Environmental Science | Host institution in Germany: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung – UFZ, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig

Climate Protection Fellows in portrait

Get to know some of the scholarship holders and their exciting projects in the fields of climate protection or climate-relevant resource conservation.

All awards and grants